Being an official in the Ming Dynasty was not easy. Neither the Hongwu Emperor nor the current Ying Shi Emperor made things easy for their officials, putting them under immense pressure. It was clearly impossible to achieve the same level of wealth and power as during the Song Dynasty.

However, for many officials, what they cared about was not necessarily the court's salary; they cared more about status and power, which were clearly things that the Ming emperors could not provide.

The Song Dynasty was a paradise for scholars, and for good reason. Passing the imperial examinations was the pinnacle of one's life. Leaving aside salary and other benefits, civil officials held incredibly high status, completely disregarding military generals and even openly despising them.

Besides the vast difference in status between civil and military officials, the most important factor was the environment in which they served as officials. Civil officials in the Song Dynasty did not have to worry about being beheaded by the emperor; at most, they would be demoted or exiled. Even if factional strife was severe, there would be instances of factional persecution.

But there's no need to worry too much about an imperial edict leading to execution. Look at what the Ming Dynasty did—it was utterly disgraceful. Beheading was one thing, but they were also frequently skinned alive and their bodies displayed as straw, their skins hung in a small house next to the county government office!

Some scholars even felt that Ming Dynasty officials held a lower status than those of the Yuan Dynasty. Although the Mongol Yuan Dynasty was a foreign dynasty and relegated scholars to the ninth rank, it often granted officials some power and dignity. Most importantly, once certain tasks were accomplished, the court was not particularly restrictive.

Unlike in the Ming Dynasty, where corrupt officials were slaughtered in droves, if they couldn't be diligent or implement the court's policies well, they wouldn't pass the evaluation and might even be punished by the court. There was simply no way out for them!

Even the emperors of the Ming Dynasty, who wanted their oxen to run fast, were reluctant to feed them too much.

Such a situation naturally breeds resentment, but there's nothing that can be done about it. Many scholars, deep down, dream of mastering both literary and martial arts to serve the emperor. Even the most arduous official position is still better than being a farmer toiling in the fields. Even if exploited by the emperor, in the eyes of the common people, they are still high-ranking officials.

Ru Yong looked at the visiting cards and said, "Father, are you really not going to reply to these visiting cards?"

Ru Chang said calmly, "As your father, I am already extremely fortunate to be appointed Minister of Personnel by His Majesty's great favor. Your elder brother married a princess and became a royal consort. We should be content with that."

Ru Yong also said, "Your son has never dared to fail the Emperor's grace, but many of these invitations are..."

Ru Chang looked at her young son and said, "Are you trying to say that many of these invitations were sent by important officials of the court, hoping to make a good connection? Our Ru family should first and foremost be loyal to our duties and not resort to crooked means."

That makes sense, but Ru Yong also felt that perhaps they shouldn't be so rigid and should also consider the future.

There's no need to worry about the eldest brother; he's the Imperial Son-in-Law Commandant, and according to seniority, even the current emperor has to address him as uncle. He receives a salary from the imperial court, so if he wants to enter the court in the future, it will be relatively easy; at the very least, he'll be guaranteed a civil or military official position.

There's no need to worry about the eldest son's side, but we need to think about the second brother, and also about ourselves, the youngest.

My father is the Minister of Personnel. If he doesn't even have a good relationship with the emperor, and he returns to his hometown, there will be no more connections in the court. It will be difficult for his descendants to pursue an official career.

Ru Chang naturally knew what her youngest son was worried about, but there were some things he couldn't say outright. Or rather, her youngest son's thoughts were quite normal, since many officials actually did the same thing.

Although the court is very strict about factional strife, everyone knows that there are indeed some factions among the officials. Even if some people leave the court, they still retain some ties or have some legacy to carry on.

For example, Ru Chang presided over the imperial examination in the first year of the Ying Shi reign, and the students in that examination were theoretically Ru Chang's students. Of course, Ru Chang didn't need such a reputation, mainly because he didn't want to attract attention, as that would only displease His Majesty the Emperor.

Moreover, as the Minister of Personnel, he is essentially the head of the civil service, so there's no need for him to care about empty titles. If he really wants to cultivate protégés, he needs to find suitable individuals to train, rather than simply gathering a bunch of people indiscriminately, which would only make things worse.

Like the former Minister of Revenue, Yu Xin, although he was dismissed from his post for this matter and has now been exiled to the Yellow River dike, many people also know that Yu Xin has cultivated an excellent successor, Xia Yuanji, who is a formidable figure, and many also know that His Majesty the Emperor greatly appreciates him.

Ru Chang looked at her youngest son and said, "For now, you should focus on your studies and not have any other thoughts. You don't understand the intricacies of officialdom yet, but if you enter officialdom one day, I will teach you properly."

Ru Yong was frustrated. Although he was now studying at the Imperial Academy, he wasn't one of those who got in through genuine talent. The Imperial Academy wasn't short of students like him; they were mostly sons of officials, with powerful and influential elders in their families.

These students are naturally considered "hereditary privileged," just like those who hold official positions through patronage—they were born into privilege with a family member holding an official post. While they may have access to more resources, not all of them are necessarily outstanding individuals.

Despite Ru Chang's status as a child prodigy and now the Minister of Personnel, none of his three sons possess any real talent. Forget about inheriting his mantle; they'd be lucky if they didn't cause any trouble.

This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!